I am a parent of two children. We eat out fairly often as do many Americans. The kids usually prefer the fast-food places with the cheap toys and the playgrounds. I typically do not let them play in these any longer as they are pretty nasty. If you ever have to go inside one of these you will see what I mean...urine smells are frequent.
Most of these places have employees that do a general cleaning of the facility but not specifically the inside of the play tunnels. I thought of offering cleaning services to these places. I would give them a certificate to post in the play area, something to the effect of "Our play area is sanitized and maintained by..."
My goal would be to offer a six month or year "agreement" for weekly cleanings. I have looked at the manufacturers of several of these VERY expensive playgrounds and read the recommended cleaning practices.
#1. "RE: Would this idea sell??" In response to Reply # 0
Sounds like a viable idea, just take some work pounding the pavement and convincing the managers to incur the expense. If no one is really complaining, they will have to justify spending money. I like the idea though, get a few clients and go from there.
Chris Benjamin Consulting - helping start ups with accounting & finance
#2. "RE: Would this idea sell??" In response to Reply # 0
You bet it'd sell! You're going to need a great, scientific name, a great process and a great logo, though.
You're also going to need to be very strict - setting standards on what constitutes a good playground, so you might want to go for the overall safety aspect too. Be prepared to play hard-ball and revoke your tag if the play area gets into disrepair.
You're going to need some classy tags and window stickers for the business to display at their entrances. Small metal signage for the outside of gated play areas would be great too.
Don't just do restaurant play areas, though. Many malls have a play area as do gated communities and apartment complexes and daycare centers.
The "little guys" need a break too. So, offer classes on how individual babysitters can keep playthings clean. Then they can pay to be certified as well, proving they have some training. Be sure they take a test of some sort, both written and practical hands-on.